Geoffrey Lean is Britain's longest-serving environmental correspondent, having pioneered reporting on the subject almost 40 years ago.

Planning power grab betrays Government's principles

Quarry development is one area of decision-making the Government now controls Photo: ALAMY

Ministers came to power promising to put local people in the driving seat over decisions that affect the places where they live. In fact they are increasingly grabbing the steering wheel, planning to accelerate development and threatening to flatten democratic decision making. My Telegraph column this weekend tells the story.